The landscape of the working world is changing. Now more than ever, employers need to find new methods of attracting and retaining good talent.
It’s no secret that the companies staying ahead of the game, when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best people, are offering more than just a good pay cheque. Amazon recently announced they're testing a 30-hour workweek, Airbnb gives employees $2,000 annually to travel while Netflix has begun offering 1 year of parental leave.*
Of course, there are many factors that employees look for in a job but the more benefits and perks you can offer, the more likely they’ll stay.
Work-life balance
Offering a flexible work approach not only helps you retain the best people, it also enables employees to do great work in a way that fits with their lifestyle. And the best part is, it doesn’t have to cost you much. Here’s some steps to follow for putting it into practice.
✔ Step 1: Create a set of basic guidelines or principles
It’s important to set out the expectations early on so that everyone is on the same page. For example, is there a set period every day when they should be online? Will you conduct regular virtual meetings? Do the employees have the technology in place to enable flexible work? How will your team stay in touch, aligned, and up to date on things?
✔ Step 2: Feedback and Review
Get their feedback on what they thought was effective and what wasn’t. Perhaps there are some areas for improvement, new guidelines or best practices you want to put in place.
✔ Step 3: Formalise it
A formal flexible work policy should clearly set out the expectations, how work will get done, how people will communicate, and any best practices. The second thing is to make sure that employees know that flexible work is an option at your organisation and what’s required of them to take advantage of it.
Rest’s flexible work arrangement policy offers employees work/life balance and a flexible work schedule.
One employee, Gabriella, has utilised this benefit to pursue her passion for helping abandoned dogs. She works from home one day per week to train rescue dogs at her local park for an hour - something that wouldn't be possible during busy weekends at the shelter. Having the support of her team to pursue something that’s very meaningful to her, has tripled her loyalty and commitment to her work.
Source
*https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2016/09/26/heres-why-employers-should-adopt-amazons-30-hour-workweek/#39ce7f635558
*https://www.fastcompany.com/3054379/this-is-what-the-best-places-to-work-and-the-happiest-companies-have-in-c
*http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/netflix-paid-parental-leave-hourly-workers_us_56685ae1e4b009377b233a79